Card-index.



J. H. RAND.

CARD INDEX. APPLICATION FILED mm; 21. 1915.

Patented. May 29,1917;

565 MAIN MARKET BANK CARD-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 191?.

Application filed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 104,914.

the so-called visible index type, and consists in'the novel and improved.features of construction hereinafter described and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of theinvention,-'

F gure 1 1s a face new of an index contaming the invention, parts beingbroken away;

, shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section on an enlargedscale, illustrating the index shown in Fig. 1;.

ig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a longitudinal fragmentary sec-- tion showing a modifiedform of card carrler;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing another modification Fig. 6 is a faceview, partly'brokenaway, of one of the cards formed with a pocket toreceive an insert; V

Fig, 7 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of the card carrier,card andinsert Fig. 8 is a fragmentary face view of one of the cardcarriers and card showing an adjustable signal or indicator appliedthereto;

and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, of the carrier, cardand indicator shown in Fig. 8.

A represents the frame of the index which may be made in the usual wayof sheet metal having inturned flanges a at each side to bent retaininglips for holding an index slide in the manner hereinafter explained.

In the form shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 9, both retaining lips are bentrearwardly substantially perpendicular to the front face, as shown at bandb and thence inwardly flatwise of the front face as shown at b and bSaid retaining lips overlap each other as shown, and are so formed as topressyieldingly one against the other so as to exert a spring grip upona card extending between them. a

A card C is supported by each carrier B and has a folded over margin 0at its upper edge, forming a slide which is inserted into the sheath ateither end with the body of the card C extending outward from the sheathbetween the retaining lips I), 6 The folded margin 0 may be used todisplay index characters or other desired inscription and also serves asa supporting means by which the card is attached to the card carrier.The pinch or grip upon the card C by the resilient lips b, bfrictionally holds the card in position and prevents its accidentaldislodgment endwise of the card carrier.

The abutting faces 6, 6 of the several carriers being substantiallyperpendicular or upright to the plane of the cards prevents the cardcarriers from overriding one another when the sameare shifted togetherlengthwise of the frame.

The body of each card G liessubstantially flatwise of the frame andextends behind the adjoining card carriers and the cards attachedthereto, whereby the several card carriers B may be arranged injuxtaposition one to another to form a practically continuous index faceof celluloid or similar transparent protective sheet material, while thecards themselves are covered and protected by the juxtaposed cardcarriers. Any card C maybe exposed to view for inspection or forreceiving inscriptions by separating its card carrier and thenextadjoining overlying card carrier in the'manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

Preferably the cards C are narrower than the frame and terminate shortof the ends of the carriers B so as to project with a loose fit betweenthe guide rails a, a. 'As the carriers B are shifted lengthwise of theframe in the uide channels to separate two adjacent carrlers B for thepurpose of exposing the card or for the purpose of readjusting orinserting new card carriers, the

cards C, being guided at their lateral'edges by the guide rails a, a,will hold the carriers B in their correct position transverse of theframe and cause both ends of the carriers B to slide together equaldistances in the guide channels and prevent the card carriers B frombeing twisted or inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of theframe.

In the-modification shown in Fig. 4, the card carrier B has a rearwardlybent lower lip b and a rearwardly and inwardly bent upper lip 5 thelatter. normally being overlapped by the lip 1)", whereby when the cardC with its folded over margin 0 is inserted into the sheath the lip bwill exert a spring grip on the card held between it and t e edge of thelip b. In this form the edge of the card carrier on the underside,- thatis, on the side in which the card extends, is substantially upright tothe plane of the card so as to avoid any tendency of the next juxtaposedcard carrier below to override the adjoining card carrier attached tothe next underlyin card.

In the modi cation shown in Fig. 5, the card carrier B is a sheathsimilar to that shown in Fig. 4, save that the rear lip 1) extendsbeyond the edge of the lower lip 1) instead of terminating short of itas in Fig. 4, and the spring grip exerted on the card 0 extendingbetween the lips is exerted by the pressure of the resilient lip I)against the edge of the lip 6 In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and7, the card carrier is the same as shown in Fig. 2, and the card C withits folded 'over margin 0 is secured to the card carrier in the samemanner as before. The lower edge ,of the card C is folded up to form apocket 0 in which there is removably held. a card or paper insert D. Inthis construction the card C may be used merelyas a holder for theinsert D, upon which the desired entries may be made, or both the card(1 and the insert D may be used for entries. This form of card with itsinsert may be mounted in a frame precisely as shown in Fig. 1, both thecards and inserts lying flatwise of the frame behind the adjoining cardcarriers and their cards.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the card carrier B and card C may be precisely as shownin Fig. 2. An adjustable indicator is shown adapted to slide lengthwiseof the sheath B having a signal portion 6 located between the front faceof the sheath and the folded margin 0 of the card, thence bent over theedge of the margin 0 to form a connecting portion e, and thence bentaround the edge of adjacent lip b of the sheath and extendin outside ofthe sheath between the lip b an the body of the card C to form a tabportion 0 by which the member may be shifted lengthwise of the sheath.The spring grip exerted on the tab portion 6 which passes between thetworesilient lips frictionally holds the indicator member in adjustedposition. The signal portion 0 of the indicator may havean aperture 6 toexpose underlying inscriptions on the face of the index margin 0. Thusthe indicator or signal may be used for a great variety of purposes,such as to expose one of a series of letters indicating grade of credit,or to ex pose numerals representing dates, or other matter pertinent tothe uses to which the index is put. It will be understood that theindicator can be applied in the manner described to any of the severalforms of card carriers.

The card carriers may be removed from the frame by springing or bendingtheir middle part away from the frame, and then withdrawing their endsfrom the guide channels.

By having the several cards extend fiatwise of the frame behind theadjoining sheaths or card carriers and their attached cards, the cardsare fully protected by the celluloid sheaths from in ury or defacementby handling, without requiring additional celluloid coverings applied tothe cards, thus making it possible greatly to reduce the thickness andbulk of the index as compared with properly protected overlapping cards,and to increase the capacity of the index, and to reduce its cost. Itwill be understood that the sheath in any of the forms mentioned may beattached to the lower or free margin of the card instead of to the uppermargin, or to both the upper and lower margins, if desired, in

precisely the same manner as above described. Whichever form of sheathis used it should be noted that the attachment of the sheath to thefolded margin of the card by sliding the sheath on to the folded marginendwise and holding it in place without other securement, permits therelatively slidable members to expand and contract unequally underchanging conditions of the humidity and temperature of the atmosphereand prevents any warping or distortion of the parts which results fromunequal expansion and contraction when a celluloid sheath is secured tothe card by staples,

cement, or the like.

I claim:

1. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, and a series of cards attached to theseveral card carriers and extending flatwise of the frame behind theadjoining card carriers and the cards attached thereto, whereby the cardcarriers may be arranged in juxtaposition one to another to form theface of the index with the attached cards covered, and

a and a series of cards attached to the sevnae'neeo whereby any card maybe exposed to view by separating its card carrier and the next adjoiningoverlying card carrier.

2. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof,

eral card carriers and extending from the rear side of said carriersfiatwise of the frame behind the adjoining card carriers and the cardsattached thereto, whereby the card carriers may be arranged edge to edgein juxtaposition one to another to form the face of the index with theattached cards covered, and whereby anycar'd may be exposed to view byseparating its card carrier and the next adjoining overlying cardcarrier.

3. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, each formed of transparent resilientmaterial having a closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lips,and a se ries of cards attached to the several card carriers, eachhaving a folded margin held by said retaining lips, the body of the cardextending between said retaining lips and lying fiatwise of the framebehind the adjoining card carriers and the cards attached thereto.

4. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable' lengthwise thereof, each formed of transparent resilientmaterial having a closed front face and rearwardly and inwardly bentretaining lips one overlapping the other, and a series of cards attachedto the several card carriers each having a folded margin held by saidretaining lips, the body of the card extending between said retaininglips and lying flatwise of the frame behind the adjoining card carriersand the cards attached thereto.

5. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, each formed of transparent resilientmaterial having a closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lips,and a series of cards attached to the several card carriers, each havinga folded margin held by said retaining lips, the body of the cardextending between said retaining lips and lying flatwise of the frame behindthe adjoining card carriers and the cards attached thereto, saidretaining lips being adapted to exert a spring grip upon the cardextending therebetween.

6, An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, each formed of transparent resilient material having a closed front face and rearwardly and inwardly bentretaining lips one overlapping the other, and a series of cards attachedto the several card carriers each having a folded margin held by saidretaining lips, the body of the card extending between said retaininglips and lying flatwise of the frame behind the adjoining card carriersand the cards attached thereto, said retaining lips being adapted toexert a spring grip upon the card extending therebetween.

7. An index com rising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels, aseries of card carriers having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, each formed of transparent resilientmaterial having a closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lips,and a series of cards attached to the several card carriers, each havinga folded margin held by said retaining lips, the body of the cardextending between said retaining lips and lying flatwise of the framebehind the adjoining card carriers and the cards attached thereto, theedge of each card carrier on the side in which the card extends beingsubstantially upright to the plane of the card, whereby each cardcarrier will be prevented from overriding the next adjoining carrierattached to the next underlying card.

8. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channels,and a pair of spaced guide rails between and parallel to said channels,a series of card carriers in front of said guide rails having their endsin said guide channels and slidable lengthwise thereof, and a series ofcards attached to the several card carriers lying flatwise of the framebehind the adjoining card carriers and cards attached thereto andextending between said guide rails.

9. An index comprising a frame having a pair of inturned guide flanges,a pair of guide rails under said guide flanges, the front faces of whichform with the flanges inwardly facing guide channels and the inner facesof which form card guiding surfaces, a series of card carriers in frontof said guide rails having their ends in said guide channels andslidable lengthwise thereof, and a series of cards attached to theseveral card carriers lying flatwise of the frame behind the adjoiningcard carriers and cards attached thereto, and extending between saidguide rails.

10. An index comprising a frame having inwardly facing guide channelsand a pair of spaced guide rails between and parallel to said channels,a series of card carriers in front of said guide rails having their endsin said guide channels and slidable lengthwise thereof, each carrierbeing formed of transparent resilient material having a closed frontface and rearwardly bent retaining lips, and a series of cards attachedto the several card carriers having a folded margin held by saidretaining lips, the body of the card extending between said retaininglips and lying flatwise of the frame behind the adjoining card carriersand the cards attached thereto, and extending between said guide rails.

11. A sheath of transparent resilient material having a relatively longand narrow closed face and bent-over retaining lips, and a card or sheethaving a folded margin removably held in said sheet, the body of thecard or sheet extending outward between said lips.

12. A sheath of transparent resilient material having a relatively longand narrow closed face and bent-over retaining lips, and a card or sheethaving a folded margin insorted in said sheath, the body of the card orsheet extending outward between said lips, said sheath and folded marginbeing slidable relatively endwise whereby they are permitted to expandor contract unequally without distorting each other.

13. A sheath of transparent resilient material having a relatively longand narrow closed face and bent-over retaining lips, and a cord or sheethaving a folded margin inserted in said sheath, the sheath and foldedmargin being slidable relatively endwise, removably connected to eachother without other securement, and capable of unequal expansion orcontraction without distorting each other, and the body of the card orsheet extending outward between the lips of the sheath.

14. A sheath of transparent resilient sheet material having a relativelylong and narrow closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lipsadapted to exert a spring grip upon a card extending therebetween, and acard having a folded margin inserted in said sheath and frictionallyheld by said retaining lips, the body of the card extending outwardbetween said retaining lips.

15. A sheath of transparent resilient sheet material having a relativelylong and narrow closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lips oneoverlapping the other, adapted to exert a spring grip upon a cardextending therebetween, and a card having a folded margin inserted andheld in said sheath by said retaining lips, the body of the cardextending outward between said retaining lips substantially parallel tothe front face of the sheath.

16. A sheath of transparent resilient material having a relatively longand narrow closed front face and rearwardly and inwardly bent retaininglips, a card having a folded margin inserted and held in said sheath bysaid retaining lips, the body of the card extending outward between saidlips, and an indicator member adapted to slide lengthwise of said sheathhaving a signal portion located between the front face of the sheath andthe folded margin of the card, a connecting portion bent around the freeedge of said card margin, and a tab portion, bent around the adjacentlip and extending outside of the sheath between said last mentioned lipand the body of the card.

17 A sheath of transparent resilient sheet material having a relativelylong and narrow closed front face and rearwardly bent retaining lips,and a card or sheet having a folded margin inserted in said sheath, thebody of the card or sheet extending outward between said lips.

Signed by me at North Tonawanda, New York, this 16th day of June 1916.

JAMES H. RAND.

